Patents by Inventor Marc Anthony Bulcher

Marc Anthony Bulcher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Miniaturized green end-burning hybrid propulsion system for cubesats
    Patent number: 11724829
    Abstract: A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may generate thrust of no more than 5 N at an oxidizer flow rate of no more than 5 g/s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Inventors: Tyson Smith, Zachary Lewis, Kurt Olsen, Marc Anthony Bulcher, Stephen Whitmore
  • MINIATURIZED GREEN END-BURNING HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR CUBESATS
    Publication number: 20220348360
    Abstract: A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may generate thrust of no more than 5 N at an oxidizer flow rate of no more than 5 g/s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory
    Inventors: Tyson Smith, Zachary Lewis, Kurt Olsen, Marc Anthony Bulcher, Stephen Whitmore
  • MINIATURIZED GREEN END-BURNING HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR CUBESATS
    Publication number: 20220315252
    Abstract: A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory
    Inventors: Tyson Smith, Zachary Lewis, Kurt Olsen, Marc Anthony Bulcher, Stephen Whitmore
  • Miniaturized green end-burning hybrid propulsion system for CubeSats
    Patent number: 11407531
    Abstract: A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may generate thrust of no more than 5 N at an oxidizer flow rate of no more than 5 g/s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory
    Inventors: Tyson Smith, Zachary Lewis, Kurt Olsen, Marc Anthony Bulcher, Stephen Whitmore